Costa at the double in Blues win

Posted Sunday, October 18, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Chelsea secured a much-needed three points in a comfortable 2-0 win over under-pressure Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 0
Costa at the double
Guzan gifts Chelsea their first
Chances few and far between for Villa
Sherwood feeling the pressure
Match Summary

Both sides came into the game needing a win and Chelsea looked good value for the three points for much of the encounter.

Diego Costa marked his return from suspension with an early goal after being teed up by Willian, before he slotted home again after the break thanks to a wicked deflection off Alan Hutton.

Full Report

Both sides had good early chances as both Pedro and Rueben Loftus-Cheek spurned chances at one end, before Hutton had an effort saved and fired wide from the rebound.

Rudy Gestede then flicked a header narrowly over the bar after getting ahead of John Terry to meet Jordan Ayew's cross into the box.

However, it was Chelsea who found the breakthrough on 33 minutes, with an absolute gift of a goal after Willian pounced on the ball after Joleon Lescott miscontrolled Brad Guzan's pass before racing clear to lay it off for Costa to finish into an open goal.

Chelsea's advantage was doubled shortly after the restart, Costa controlling a ball over the top before cutting back and firing home thanks to the luckiest of deflections off Hutton.

The Blues continued to threaten and Spanish duo Pedro and Costa fired wide with two quickfire chances on the hour mark.

On 70 minutes, Guzan again gifted the ball to Willian, but Costa this time could not fire his shot off on time and the Villa stopper was out quickly to make the save.

In truth, the second goal killed off the game and Villa seemed to be resigned to the defeat long before the final whistle, while Chelsea looked reluctant to go for the jugular late on.